Hospitals

Hospitals

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry provide medical, diagnostic, and treatment services to people on an inpatient and outpatient basis at specialized medical, surgery, emergency, and other health care facilities. Major companies include Community Health Systems, HCA Healthcare, and Tenet Healthcare (all based in the US), as well as Apollo Hospitals (India), Fraser Health (Canada), and Ramsay Health Care (Australia).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Hospitals are under extreme pressure to lower costs while improving quality of care. Government payers and insurers are nudging patients toward less-costly outpatient care, reducing the number of routine inpatient procedures conducted at hospitals. The trend is encouraged by advances in medical technologies that improve recovery times. As reimbursements shift toward pay-for-performance protocols and away from procedure-based payments, hospitals may be rewarded or penalized based on quality and efficiency standards, such as reducing repetitive ER visits and hospitalizations. Eliminating wasteful processes is essential, as operating margins are slim, and the ability to raise prices is limited.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services include patient care related to IDCD-10 major category, accounting for more than 90% of the industry revenue. Followed by appropriation from general government (about 5%) and nonoperating or tax-exempt revenue (less than 5%).